My name in Portuguese is Cleonice Maria da Silva. In the tradition of my people, I am Toá Kãnynã, which means Protector Snake of the White Stones. I belong to the Pankararu ethnic group and live in the Cinta Vermelha, Jundiba Indigenous Village, which is formed by two Indigenous Peoples: Pankararu and Pataxó.
I am a mother and a grandmother, and a practitioner and defender of traditional Indigenous medicine. I am involved in the Oha-Kaháb Project: House of Health, Healing, and Harmony, whose objective is to recover, value, respect, and use medicinal plants, strengthening traditional medical practices in accordance with the knowledge and sciences of our ancestors.
I hold a degree in Biological Sciences from UFMG (Federal University of Minas Gerais) and a specialization in Sociobiodiversity and Sustainability from UnB (University of Brasília). My research focused on the disappearance of medicinal plants from the Cerrado and Caatinga biomes and the impacts of this loss on the practices of Pajés (shamans), Benzedeiras (folk healers), Raizeiras (herbalists), Curandeiros (healers), and traditional midwives.